The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate has ordered a police inquiry into Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s controversial statement made during the much-publicised Nava Kerala Sadas. On November 20, 2023, in Kallyasseri, Kannur district, three or four youths protested against the extravagant spending of taxpayers’ money for the event, and DYFI members attacked them with helmets, earthen flower pots, and iron rods. The victims were hospitalised with serious head injuries.
The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, on October 9, ordered the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Ernakulam Central Police Station to conduct an investigation into a private complaint filed by Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) President Mohammed Shiyas. In his complaint, the DCC President listed the CPM/DYFI attacks that took place against protesters in different parts of the state.
Mohammed Shiyas stated in his complaint dated April 2, 2024, that despite being a senior political leader and the Chief Minister holding the home portfolio, Pinarayi’s speech amounted to abetment and instigation of physical assault. He mentioned that he moved the court because the complaint he filed with the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Ernakulam Central Police Station on November 24, 2023, and with the Kochi City Police Commissioner on November 27, 2023, did not yield any results. Shiyas added that the police are afraid to take action against the Chief Minister and are not prepared to carry out any investigation.
The magistrate’s order came shortly after the Crime Branch gave a clean chit to the Chief Minister’s gunmen and security personnel in a case related to the alleged assault on Congress members during the Nava Kerala Sadas when it reached Alappuzha district last year.
During that time, Pinarayi stated that the DYFI men were executing a “life-saving mission.” He explained that they were pushing the Youth Congress members away; otherwise, they would have been hit by the luxury bus carrying the Chief Minister and the entire cabinet. Since then, all Malayalam TV channels have been broadcasting the visuals of the “life-saving mission.” However, the Chief Minister continued to assert that he did not witness any sort of attack while observing the entire “mission” from the cabinet bus. He claimed he only saw the DYFI men pushing the Youth Congress members to prevent a motor accident. Furthermore, the Chief Minister encouraged the DYFI men to repeat such a “life-saving mission” if necessary.
The court’s decision is to investigate Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that the DYFI attack was a “life-saving mission.” The court’s intervention is prompted by the Chief Minister’s assertion that the “life-saving mission” could continue, as it incites violence.
“Life-saving” is a noble concept. However, when it is used by CPM leaders, people often ridicule it because they understand that the term “life saver” has a peculiar meaning in the CPM lexicon. It is too soon for them to forget what Pinarayi said during his much-propagated Nava Kerala Sadas. Pinarayi Vijayan justified the attack by stating that the DYFI men were on a life-saving mission; otherwise, the vehicles in the convoy would have hit them! Now, Keralites eagerly await the outcome of the police enquiry ordered by the Court.
